Start of the Past

Before I start, this is set in X792. So that means everyone is a year older. Natsu is 19 (or 26 if you count the seven years frozen in time), Lucy is 18, Erza is 20, Gray is 19, Wendy is 13, Romeo is 14, Jellal is 27 (I'm gonna bring him into this somehow), Gajeel is 20 (I don't actually know how old he is), Levy is 18, Juvia is 18 aaaand you probably get the point. So here we go. My first Fairy Tail fanfic, I'm pretty excited. If anyone has a few pieces of advice or anything please leave a comment or send me a message. No flames thank you and please correct me on anything, from information, typos or just honorifics.

Words - 2,582

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail, it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

R and R (Read and review)

Sie

"It's good to see you again", the large monstrosity told the figure beside him. "You haven't visited since he came to you."

The smaller and more petite figure smiled brightly. "I'm happy to see him. He made up for what he did and apologised to me for making our daughter go through that kind of pain. I'm happier now, even though I thought I was happy before."

They stood in a small, cramped dark space. At the mouth of the cave were lava streams and spurting fires, the cave made of strong volcanic rock from a nearby volcano. Together they stood in tranquil and peaceful silence, watching the flames moved and spit as the lava slowly flowed. They stayed like that until the larger being restarted their conversation.

"Why are you here? You come here to ask questions or when you're lonely. You are not lonely nor have you asked a question."

"I think it's time she knew, little by little. Please see Grandeeney and I will check back often."

"It's a lot to load on to her. Are you sure now is the right time?"

The location of the place was unknown to many with the exception of the dragons and the woman beside the dragon. She smiled lightly. "Of course, baka dragon. Nothing else will happen that can get in the way, not for a long time at least. I believe she can do it."

A sigh escaped the dragon's mouth. "Fine. As you wish. I will speak with Grandeeney and Metalicana. Go back to your husband, Layla." A laugh escaped the honey blonde woman beside him. Her coffee brown eyes glowed brightly with the reflection of the bright, contrasting red lava and flames. Her hair was tied in a bun with a pink band that had a rose on it. She wore a bright pink dress that had cream lace and white material making it seem highly royal.

Wings formed on the larger figure and it flew away, out the cave entrance. The scales glittered from the glowing lava making them a brighter red; a crimson colour. A roar was let out from the creature before a column of flames was blown in front of him. Layla laughed and waved. "Don't go falling over Grandeeney, Igneel." Even from here he could hear her. And she could hear his snort.

"Layla. We are here. Release your power now and we shall leave your child and husband alone." The two figures stood alone in a small and dark room, similar to the one Layla and Igneel had been in but not the same for a soft sound of flowing water could be heard behind them and at the mouth, instead of lava and fire there was darkness inside as the sight of water flew over the entrance like a curtain.

The man stood tall with the image of a drop of water with a skull inside across his t-shirt. The man flexed his muscles and smirked at the woman who stood below him. Running a hand through purple hair, his sharp green eyes pierced into her brown ones. The blonde glared up at him before turning, her pink cupcake like dress swaying.

"I am doing this for the safety of my family and the safety of dragons", with that she began concentrating power on the large wooden doors before her. The doors had intricate patterns, including flames, swirls, dragons and many other things.

The man let out a hollow laugh. "Give up your life, as you wish. But this will benefit my guild as we have a dragon locked away that we shall use for money. Now that you have begun you can not stop and we shall be the richest in the world. Richer than your husband will ever be."

The doors began to glow brightly as Layla smiled. "Without a dragon slayer you won't be able to tame that dragon. Be worried in the future for my daughter will release them all again. Dragons will not need to be feared then for they will be friendly. I believe in my daughter and I love my husband."

With that the room they were in lit up a bright yellow colour and when the light went out, only a smirking man stood in the room. "I'll stop your daughter when the time comes. She won't be able to reach Midnight falls. My guild won't let her."

Lucy jumped up into a sitting position. She glanced beside her to see a sky blue cat on her pillow and her pink haired friend lying beside her. She was in her pink walled apartment she lived in. Nothing was wrong. It was just a dream.

Looking out her window she saw the sun was coming up. The golden clouds and purple sky with a touch of orange along the line of the housetops were breathtaking. Lucy wondered why she didn't always get up this early. Even though it was early she wanted to start researching. Something about that dream made her believe and what was better than bringing back dragons for her friends and knowing how her mother died. Maybe she could bring back the dragons like her mother wanted, with some help.

Then the blonde did a double take on the two beside her. With a swift lucy kick, Natsu was against the wall. "KYAAA! STOP SLEEPING IN MY BED!"

Natsu groaned from the floor before falling back to sleep on the floor. Happy sighed with a yawn, "Lushy, why did you get up so early?"

Lucy sighed as she came out of her closet in her usual clothes as well as her hair in pigtails. "I've gotta research something." Lucy bit her lip. "Then I have to do something out of town tomorrow. I'm going to the guild, want to come? Mira might have fish." As Lucy began going out the door, Happy followed her cheering.

"Aye, sir!" Lucy shook her head at the cat's antics before she grabbed a celestial key from the pouch strapped to her waist. As she released Plue, she began to walk along the river's edge, attempting to converse with the cat and doggy spirit.

Mira smiled as the creek of the guild doors opening echoed around the room. "Morning Freed", Mira chorused to who she believed was the first person to be in the guild that morning. Lucy smiled slyly as Happy grinned.

"You liiiike him", Happy snidely sang as he flew around the guild, a paw covering his mouth. The eldest Strauss sibling turned to see Happy and to her slight surprise Lucy. She would've thought Happy would be with Natsu, but then again Natsu never got up this early unless forced by a certain exquip mage. Lucy waved as she walked into the library and Happy came out of the kitchen with a fish. Mira sighed and went back to cleaning the table she was at.

"Morning, Mira-san. Can you please tell Levy-chan when she gets here to come and help me with something in the library?" With a smile she turned to the doorway the blonde stood in. Mira nodded.

"Hai, hai."

The sun began to descend from the middle of the sky, a sign that it was becoming late afternoon. Everyone was in the guild drinking cheerily- as they did- with a fight mainly consisting of Gray, Gajeel and Elfman going on, Erza was too busy eating strawberry cake to separate them. Natsu kicked the guild doors open so they hit the walls. "HAPPY, LUCY. LET'S GO ON A MISSION!"

Mira looked over at Natsu, along with the rest of the guild. Gajeel got up from his seat on the ice floor he'd slipped on and gave his fellow dragon slayer a punch in the arm. "Shut up, fire breath. Shrimp, bunny girl and our neko's are in the library doing something important."

Natsu huffed and began making his way to the library. Gajeel just laughed with a "geehee" before following the salmon haired teen. Wendy, who was just going into the library, waved at them. "Gajeel-san, Natsu-san. Why are you going into the library?" It wasn't strange she asked, after all the only reason the two were ever in the library were if they had to resort the books or their two bookworm nakama were in there, but Wendy hadn't seen the two females go in or even in the guild at that.

Carla muttered something under her breath about stupidity as Gajeel replied. "Gonna see shorty and cheerleader." Wendy smiled cheekily at the two dragon slayers, knowingly nodding. Natsu blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. On the other hand, Gajeel crossed his arms with cheeks blushing. Wendy giggled as they reached the bottom of the stairway.

There was two yelped as the three dragon slayers looked at two petite girls who sat on top of a table waving at them, a pile of closed books behind them. The three at the stairs suspiciously walked up to their table. Lucy cut in before the three could see their books. "Levy-chan and I are going to get something to eat but Levy-chan thought she saw Rogue and Sting around the city…"

Natsu grinned as he punched his right hand with a fist, "Nice. I need a fight, I'm all fired up!" He grinned at Gajeel who laughed his classic laugh a second time for that day. The three girls sweat dropped. 'Don't they fight in the guild everyday', each girl thought.

"Wanna come, neko?" Gajeel asked Pantherlily who sat at the table with the two other Exceeds. Pantherlily shook his head, knowing Levy hadn't seen any other dragon slayers than the ones before her. Natsu just shook his head as Happy offered Carla a fish. Natsu and Gajeel smirked as they turned and ran all the way up the stairs and out the guild door, not telling their yelling guild mates what they were doing as they passed. The people in the guild just sighed, partly in worry and partly from amusement.

"What are you two really doing? And why didn't you want Gajeel-san and Natsu-san knowing?" Wendy asked. Lucy and Levy smiled and sat back down in their chairs. The Exceeds moved out of the way as the two opened books from the pile.

Lucy sighed. "I had a dream that my mom was the one who locked away the dragons. But she did it because a dark guild was threatening dad and I. Apparently she was at a place called midnight falls and I discovered the guild's name is Skull Drops." Wendy concentrated on the picture of a water drop with a skull inside as Lucy showed the picture.

As the blonde took a breath, the bookworm blunette continued. "Skull Drops had the last dragon before the dragons went missing and somehow knew the dragons would disappear. Also there's meant to be a secret entrance to a cave behind one of the many waterfalls there. Lu-chan's mother wanted Lu-chan to release the dragons one day. So we're going to check it out, but it's on the other side of Fiore."

Wendy smiled, "Can I come? And that doesn't explain why Lucy-san's mother…"

Levy and Lucy were quiet before Lucy spoke up, "Of course you can come and... I don't know what happened to my mother." Lucy glanced and Levy who just nodded. Wendy smiled brightly. Carla sighed.

"Where Wendy goes, I have to come with her", the white Exceed said exasperatedly. Pantherlily stood up on the table.

"If Levy goes, I will protect her on Gajeel's behalf since this is clearly a secret", the black Exceed declared. Happy nodded as he muttered something with his fish in his mouth. Pantherlily shot Happy a look, to which Happy removed the fish from his mouth. Lucy raised an eyebrow and Levy and Wendy let out awkward laughs. Carla twitched slightly, having a feeling she knew what her fellow Exceed was going to say.

Happy said happily, "I'm coming to protect Carla. Plus I need to protect Lucy instead of Natsu." Happy snickered to himself. "I'm not carrying her though, she's heavier than Natsu."

The blue Exceed then fell to the ground with stars in his eyes as above him Lucy stood with a book yelling, "I heard that, you damn neko!"

The four others in the room laughed before the six decided to prepare for a trip that could last up to a week. Lucy stayed at the table as Happy came to before they also walked out.

"Damn you, Sting. Where are you hiding, bastard?!"

Natsu and Gajeel continued to run rapidly through the streets of Magnolia. Gajeel growled, "Come out, ya wimp. I'm gonna beat the shit outta ya."

The two continued to run until they were well and truly into the forest, as well as exhausted. It wasn't until they had gone past Porlyusica's house and it was evening that the hard headed dragon slayers realised something. Sting and Rogue's scents hadn't been anywhere in town.

Gajeel huffed with a growl. "Damn shrimp lied."

"I'm too tired. I'm going to Luce's to sleep. Her bed is comfy", Natsu yawned as he turned and started walking back. Gajeel shrugged and fell in step beside him.

Gajeel lifted his hands behind his head and laughed. "May as well visit, shorty and ask why they lied. You visit your one instead of going home, too?"

Natsu snorted. "I like her bed. It ain't Luce, exactly. I hope Happy didn't get her angry. She's scarier than Erza when Happy does that." Gajeel smirked at Natsu and he just slyly grinned back. "What you wanna go?"

Gajeel began running, "Nah, let's race. I can bet I'm faster than ya." Natsu let fire come from his fists and laughed to himself. After all nowadays, like with Gray, Natsu and Gajeel were like brothers.

"I can beat you at anything, metal face!"

Lucy sighed as the train passed over a bump again. Wendy looked up from Carla to the blonde who stared blankly out the window, Happy cheerily eating fish in her lap. Wendy could sense the girl's uneasiness. "Are you okay, Lucy-san?"

Upon hearing the younger girl's voice, Levy glanced up from her book. Pantherlily turned his attention from the surrounding passengers and Happy looked up from his fish but Lucy still focused on out the window.

"We had to leave today instead of tomorrow. Natsu would break into my apartment and Gajeel would Levy's. We'd have to tell them and they'd need to join but I don't think they should. At least we told Master what we are doing. Hopefully he holds off telling anyone before they can catch up to us. Plus the two can't catch the train with their motion sickness", Lucy said, to herself or them was unclear.

Wendy and everyone else remained silent for a few moments before she said, "That's not what you're uneasy about." Levy sighed and lowered her gaze to her book. Lucy slowly and slightly shook her head before focusing back on the scenery. Wendy and Carla took the message and went back to quietly talking. Pantherlily continued to look for suspicious people and Happy continued to munch on his fish. Lucy glanced at everyone while they weren't paying attention. They could do it. This mystery would be solved, even if it was the last thing she did. But if anyone's, it would be Lucy and Lucy alone who did this as the last thing.